Florida coach Will Muschamp is nothing if not intense. / Kim Klement, US Presswire

by Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports

by Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Sitting passively on a couch in his office, Will Muschamp neither looks nor sounds like the man they call "Coach Boom'' because of his well-documented sideline explosions. Those outbursts occur in his other "office'' - the football field. At this moment, the fireball Florida coach is a portrait of proper decorum.

Muschamp, 41, has earned a reputation for haranguing officials and boisterously chest-bumping his players. The vein-popping coach remains a popular bulls-eye for television cameras. Still, Muschamp is attempting to dial back some of his gusto on game day, but not because he cares what people think.

"I've tried to temper some things on the sideline from my first year so things I can't control don't upset me,'' the coach of the No. 3 Gators told USA TODAY Sports ahead of Saturday's game against archrival Georgia.

"I felt our team unraveled in some critical situations (in 2011, going 7-6). But as I evaluated myself, I said, 'You came unraveled in some critical situations. Your team is a reflection of what you are doing.' So I made a deal with the team (in training camp): 'I am going to keep my control (and) we need to keep our control.' ''

Most of the time anyway.

The Chomp has returned to The Swamp in a loud way for the rejuvenated Gators, whose energetic and tenacious head coach was rejected by the school as a potential walk-on defensive candidate two decades ago. The Gators lost more games the past two seasons (11) than they had the previous five combined. But this season Florida is 7-0, including 6-0 in the brutally spirited SEC.

"Getting all this love from students, well, the last time I felt this good on campus was the Tim Tebow era,'' said Gators guard Jon Halapio, a redshirt junior and the team's best offensive lineman.

Florida, in the Tebow era, posted three 13-1 seasons from 2006-09, including two national championships ('06, '08).

The Gators have crawled out of the muck and mire of the 2011 rebuilding campaign, which left many fans doubting their first-year coach -- and, as he said, "deservedly so.'' Florida, ranked No. 2 in the BCS, has been impressive with its zealous defense and exceptional special teams.

"Have we made strides? Absolutely,'' Muschamp said. "Are we where we want to be? Absolutely not.''

Classic overachiever, not sentimentalist

A victory Saturday against once-beaten Georgia, Muschamp's alma mater, clinches a berth for Florida in the Dec. 1 conference championship game. That could lead to a showdown against No. 1 Alabama, coached by Nick Saban. He gave Muschamp, then 30, his big break in 2001, appointing him his defensive coordinator at LSU when Saban was head coach.

Muschamp was a classic overachiever who gleaned his football intellect from his father, Larry, a high school headmaster and coach, and his resolve and determination from his mother, Sally. Muschamp played strong safety at Georgia from 1991-94, advancing from walk-on to hard-hitting captain by his senior season. His Bulldog teams those years never beat Florida.

Muschamp became a young Gators fan after the family moved to Gainesville from Rome, Ga. By the time he reached ninth grade, they had returned to Georgia.

As a high school junior, he suffered a bloody compound fracture of his right leg playing baseball. (The 17-inch metal rod removed from his tibia is framed in his office.) He gamely limped through his senior football season, playing sparingly.

His parents later drove their eager son to Gainesville to discuss walk-on opportunities, but no one from the Gators' staff showed up for the scheduled appointment. The family drove home.

Muschamp has little space in his head for sentimentality or the good ol' days at college in Athens, Ga. "All the same to me - nameless, faceless opponents,'' he said.

High strung as a player, Muschamp is no different in his coaching style. This week, his Southern-tinged voice sounded soft and raspy - quite possibly because of the thrashing given his vocal chords during a 44-11 thumping of South Carolina last Saturday. The Gamecocks' crushing loss left legendary former Gators coach Steve Spurrier's visor perched on his head, but his heart splattered on the ground.

As distraught as Spurrier was from three first-half turnovers, Muschamp came unhinged as the half ended. The Gators' coach lashed into game officials and, as he pivoted for the locker room, was greeted by a Gators television reporter.

"Well, we just gotta continue to capitalize on what we're doing,'' Muschamp said hoarsely before screaming, "AND OVERCOME THE ADVERSITY ON THE FIELD!"

It was another vintage YouTube Muschamp moment.

"I would love to tell you it's the greatest (act) of all time, but that persona is who he is,'' said brother Mike Muschamp. "We were taught (by our parents) early on - be who you are. If you're frustrated and angry - or excited and happy - let it out, because bottling it up doesn't do anyone any good.''

Players don't mind the 'boom' being lowered

Muschamp was given the "Coach Boom'' nickname years ago when, as Auburn's defensive coordinator, he bellowed the word after a significant play. ESPN picked up the audio - along with a few choice unprintable words. He also showed a knack for volcanic coaching at Texas, where he served as defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting for Mack Brown.

But the Gators scooped him up after Urban Meyer, now at Ohio State, retired after the 2010 season.

A married father of two young boys, Muschamp has told reporters that the only downside to his moniker is this: "It's a little hard to explain to your (child) why people call you Coach Boom.''

Muschamp's players don't seem to mind their coach's fussin' and cussin', even though Halapio recalls meeting him the first time and thinking, "This dude's crazy.''

"He's very passionate and very intelligent - he loves his craft,'' said redshirt junior linebacker Jelani Jenkins. "A lot of times we see him on the sideline going crazy and we know it's because of how much he loves his players. If he thinks it's a bad call, he is going to defend us. He is a players' coach.''

Said sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel: "When you get yelled at, you can't take it to heart. We know he's just trying to make us better.''

And he is. Some changes are dramatic, others incremental, particularly with the transition to a pro-style offense.

Muschamp inherited a talented team comprised of 70% freshmen and sophomores. Last season's squad was long on inexperience and immaturity, short on leadership and proper conditioning. Muschamp made crucial off-season hires, including offensive coordinator-quarterbacks coach Brent Pease (Boise State), offensive line coach Tim Davis (Utah) and Jeff Dillman, director of strength and conditioning.

With more familiarity with the new schemes, the Gators are committing fewer mental gaffes. Florida is undefeated largely because of its defense, ranked seventh nationally, and a reversal in turnover margin, with the Gators ninth in the country after being ranked 108th last season. The kicking game has been marvelous, including punter Kyle Christy, who leads the nation with a 47.5-yard average.

"It's called foot - ball. It's about possession,'' Muschamp said.

The offense won't be confused any time soon with the high-powered spread schemes coached by Meyer for six seasons.

Driskel has not posted a minimum 100-yard passing game since the Gators overwhelmed Kentucky 38-0 in late September. Florida ranks 114th nationally in passing and 100th in total offense. Said Pease: "We're definitely not going to be like West Virginia and those (pass-oriented) teams. (But) we're not saying we can't (throw like that) down the road.''

Just a 'blue-collar team'

Meyer's reign delivered striking verticality on offense but also brought a downside to the football culture at Florida, something Muschamp diligently works to change.

A Sporting News story last spring reported that Meyer fostered a star-mentality in the locker room and allegedly overlooked positive drug-test results, which Meyer has denied. More than 30 arrests of Gator players were made while he was in charge.

"Coach Muschamp brought back toughness, a hard-nosed (attitude) and the discipline we needed,'' said senior nose tackle Omar Hunter.

Example: A player who skips class runs the risk of a brisk 6 a.m. jog as punishment.

Where Spurrier carried the air of a BMOC - after all, he was as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida - and Meyer walked the CEO walk, Muschamp is more like your next-door neighbor, a regular guy. He recruits looking for the same standard.

"You have to sign the right players, guys who buy into the work ethic, who buy into overachieving,'' Muschamp said. "You can take all 'em (recruiting) stars and throw 'em out the window. You win with good people at the end of the day.''

Said Driskel: "That is what he says he wants our identity to be - a blue-collar team. He doesn't want me-guys.''

Maybe that is because Muschamp was raised in a football family. His father, who also coached, was a tight end at North Carolina. Muschamp followed older brothers into the sport -- Mike played at Duke, Pat at West Point.

"We had a competitive family - what we had going on was a little different than the normal family,'' said Mike Muschamp.

"Will was an extremely driven kid. As a coach, he has a vision of what perfection is. Until he gets close to that, there is always going to be a push to get there.''